March 15, 2007

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Sikk 125 Trail Bike

Sikk is another example of an up and coming company that is not afraid to fill a niche in need. It’s 125 Trail Bike is basically an air-cooled four stroke 125cc engine mounted in a minimalist, mountain bike like frame for a combined weight of 160 lbs.

Most trail motorcycles are around 280 lbs, pack a lot more engine than an average rider can realistically use and cost $6k or more. Big power is fun but takes a lot of skill and control. Coming from the other side of the spectrum, Mountain bikes are light, flickable and roll over obstacles with their large wheels. The only problem is they take a lot of strength and endurance to go up hill. The Sikk 125 Trail Bike meets the two in the middle. It makes a lot of sense. The bike does not use cutting edge technology so why did it take this long to make it happen?

Motorcross Action did an article on Sikk’s play bike this month on the bike. They mentioned that the 125 was prone to finding neutral when shifting and the engine over heating. Apparently Sikk made everything right because the review did not have much bad to say. Their only real complaint was a too low first gear and a large gap between 2nd and 3rd gear.

The reasonable $1895 USD retail price combined with the light weight and reliablility make this bike totally unique. I fully expect this motorcycle to create a new category of rider. On technical trails this bike should be able to keep the most talented riders entertained. Skill will trump power. It should appeal to big bike riders as well as mountain bikers. A side benefit might be that these bikes will have less impact on the environment. Mud puddles will not turn into cavernous ruts, exhaust noise and emissions are minimal. This might keep trails open and expand the number of trails available to riders. It maybe the fact that I picked up my Cannondale e440 one too many times but I am very tempted to trade in for one of these little bikes. The one thing that would stop me is the thought of doing hill climbs on a 125. I will have to read some forum posts and hunt down a test ride. If you have one please let us know how you like it.